Man on YouTube rampage gets arrested and COVID-19 fine

A YouTuber filming near Boston police station was arrested and issued with a coronavirus fine.

Ryan Dales, known on YouTube as Ryan Rampage, uploaded a video entitled ‘Arrested and COVID fined at Boston Police Station (Corruption at its finest)’ on February 16.

It has since attracted over 8,300 views and over 300 comments. He even included a link to his PayPal in the video description for anyone who wants to help him pay his COVID fine.

Ryan, whose life was saved by a police officer when he was two-years-old, starts the video with an introduction where he points at that it is “legal to film in a public place” and how police made him “really angry, it’s so corrupt, this is what you call brutality”.

*Be advised – there is some strong language in this video*

He walks around outside the police station and into the car park before two female members of staff come and ask what he is filming and where he has travelled from.

Ryan simply says he is in Boston on “official business” and is allowed to film in a public place. After a conversation the staff go back inside.

He continues filming outside the police station before Chief Inspector Trafford quizzes the YouTuber about why he is filming officers in their private cars.

The chief inspector said he is concerned for the security of police officers, but when asked why he is filming, Ryan said “because I can, for my own benefit”. He said “I am here and about for a reason” and when asked what that reason is, he simply replied with “it doesn’t apply to you”.

He believed he has a reasonable reason to be out, but the chief inspector didn’t agree, saying: “I’m going to give you one opportunity now, your final opportunity, to leave this area otherwise I’m going to consider you in breach of the COVID restrictions, and consequently you’ll be fined and you’ll be issued a ticket.”

Ryan claims he’s waiting for someone to pick him up, but is told to wait elsewhere or he will be fined. He becomes increasingly angry at police and as they come towards him he says “don’t surround me, you’re alarming me”.

He refuses to provide his details when asked and told that he has not “given a reasonable excuse for being there”. He is then arrested and taken into the station.

He is issued with a COVID fine and told not to return near the police station or he will get re-arrested. He then goes to the local train station and also films one of the officers getting into her car, who asks if he’s “fishing for another COVID ticket”.

A spokesperson for Lincolnshire Police said: “At around 12.30pm on February 15th, our officers at Boston Police Station became aware of a male recording video through the windows of the station and our private car park.

“Our officers approached the man, in his 20s, and questioned him as to why he was recording footage.

“He claimed he was out on business but failed to give any further details. Our officer gave him advice in line with the current government lockdown and he was asked to leave on several occasions but he refused to depart.

“Officers attempted to issue the male with a COVID fine however he refused to provide his details so was then arrested for breaching covid regulations and subsequently issued with a fixed penalty notice.

“We welcome the opportunity to engage with members of the public who may want to find out more about Lincolnshire Police or ask questions of us but at the moment we must balance this with the need to keep the public safe and do all we can to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

“As such, under government guidelines there is no exemption for vlogging or YouTubing activities during the current lockdown regulations. Rules also state that a professional accredited journalist, who would carry their press card with them, is able to continue with the normal activities their employment dictates.”

This is Ryan’s second YouTube account and has over 370 subscribers, including another brush with the law and a video claiming the “COVID testing site choose to be bullys [sic]”.

His other YouTube account with nearly 700 subscribers includes several urban explorer videos.

He’s not the first YouTuber to get in trouble with Lincolnshire Police and get fined over filming outside a station. Here is another recent example from Lincoln.